Tom Riddle and the Spellbooks of Slytherin
by George Weasley
Summary: This story is about Tom Riddle (if you read the title, you already know that) and his first year of Hogwarts. My friend Tim gave me the idea for this story. I might make it a series if it gets good enough reviews. Please review.
1. Default Chapter

I hope you enjoy this story. This chapter is kind of short, but its just the first one and I wrote most of it in Geography class. R/R  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It would come any day now. Tom was sure of it. He had read all of the books that his mom had left him before her death, and he knew it all, almost by heart; there was no doubt in his mind that it would come, and that it would come soon.  
  
And it did.  
  
The envelope had been quietly slid underneath his door.  
  
There was a coat of arms in the upper right-hand corner, one of a lion, a snake, an eagle, and a badger.  
  
In emerald green ink was written  
  
Mr. T.M. Riddle  
21 Creekwood Road  
The Orphanage  
The Best Children's Room  
  
Tom could only imagine the look on Ms. Ludson's face after reading 'The Orphanage.'   
  
"Creekwood Foster Home," she would quickly correct someone upon hearing them call the two-story building an orphanage. "Orphanage is such an ugly word."  
  
'The Best Children's Room.' Tom also had to chuckle at that.   
  
His room was much better than those of his peers, but it was still nothing special, not nearly as luxurious as Ms. Ludson's room. As much as she feared him, her greed and conceitedness had always kept Tom from getting the best available if it meant she had to give something up herself. Also she could not risk the other children knowing about Tom's special treatment and possibly finding out the secret; he could never have anything too good, and she very rarely let him near any of the other children.  
  
Tom opened the envelope and took out the letter within it.  
  
Hogwarts School of  
Witchcraft and Wizardry  
_____________________  
Headmaster: Darynn Dippet  
(Order of Merlin, Third Class, Grand Sorc., Srg. Warlock,  
Comm. Warlock, International Confed. of Wizards)  
  
Dear Mr. Riddle,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
  
Yours Sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Albus Dumbledore,  
Deputy Headmaster  
  
As Tom folded up the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope, he smiled. One of his greatest desires had come true. Along with it came the greatest fear of everyone, everywhere.  
  
  
  
So, tell me what you think, review, review, review. If I get enough good ones I'll definitely keep writing this. If not, I might anyway.   



	2. The Shattered Window

Okay, before the second chapter, I'd like to know something. What does everyone want to be my primary project, this, or Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? Review to tell me. So, without further ado  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Up, up, up, the serpent rode higher. And as it did, people around it began to drop dead. And not just any people; powerful people. Tom could not tell how they were powerful, but he knew that they were.  
  
Tom was riding on the serpent, which continued to rise. As he looked ahead, it became darker and darker; when he looked back, nothing was clear, all of it a blur.  
  
Then two people on either side of him, a man and a woman, collapsed. A shock like lightning surged through him, quickly, but significantly.  
  
And he woke up.  
  
His head hurt, and he knew the reason why: there was a rock on his pillow, next to his head.  
  
As he rubbed his skull, on which a bump had already formed, he looked up to see his window broken.  
  
He got out of bed and looked out of it.  
  
"Hey kid!" A boy in his late teens stood before the orphanage, in front of a large, purple bus. "Get your butt down here and bring your Hogwarts letter too!"  
  
What's going on, Tom thought, are they taking me to Hogwarts early?  
  
Tom got his letter out from under his pillow, where he had put it the night before.  
  
But then he faced a dilemma. If he went down the stairs and tried to go out the front door, Ms. Ludson would catch him, as she stayed up most of the night, and when she did sleep she could wake up at the slightest noise. Tom was surprised that she hadn't already come bursting into his room.  
  
His only other alternative was to climb out the window and down the building. Tom highly doubted he could accomplish that.  
  
He weighed his options.  
  
If Ms. Ludson caught him, she might not let him go to Hogwarts.  
  
If he fell off the roof and died, he wouldn't get to Hogwarts anyway, but at least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life at the orphanage.  
  
He had made up his mind. He opened his shattered window and stepped out of it.  
  
Slowly he walked down the shingled roof, completely focused on his objective.  
  
It was then that a gray blur rushed in front of him. As Tom tried to avoid it, he lost his balance and slid down the roof.  
  
He didn't know if he had taken the squirrel down with him, and frankly, he didn't care. All he could think about was that all of his careful planning had gone to waste. In about a half a second, it would all be over, and no one would ever hear of-  
  
But right before he hit the ground, his downward progress had frozen. He was suspended in midair, about two feet from the surface.  
  
And then he fell.  
  
As he got up to dust himself off, he looked to see the teenage boy with his wand pointed. "Boy, kid! You sure was lucky I was around!"  
  
"Oh, wasn't I though?" Tom said sarcastically.  
  
"Yep, if it weren't for me, you woulda crashed."  
  
"If it weren't for you I wouldn't have even attempted to climb down the roof in the first place!" Tom shot back, "And what are you doing here, anyway?"  
  
The boy quickly answered him. "Well, where do you plan on getting your Hogwarts stuff?"  
  
It was then that Tom realized that he had no idea.   
  
"We was sent to take you to go get them," the boy said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh," Tom replied blankly.   
  
"So hop onto the Knight Bus and enjoy the Ride!"   



	3. Aboard the Knight Bus

Okay, I have to give credit to my friend Tim for giving me the idea for this story. I know it's a little late, but better late than never. I couldn't have written this without your idea.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Tom stepped onto the bus. It had seemed big from the outside, but nothing compared to the inside. The bus had about fifty queen-sized beds, all of them occupied by children his age, except for one.   
  
Tom figured that it was his and lied down on it.  
  
He noted that about half of the kids were asleep, but in the short time he had been up, he felt very awake.  
  
The kid in the bed next to him was awake also, but Tom did not want to talk to him, or anyone else on the bus.  
  
All of these children were Muggle born, Tom being the exception  
  
"Okay, now to our last stop, Diagon Alley!" yelled the boy who had been outside to meet Tom. According to his nametag, his name was Arnie.  
  
And with that the bus started with a jolt.  
  
It was a very bumpy ride, and Tom wondered how the other kids managed to sleep, as they were being bounced up and down on their beds.  
  
Tom had nothing else to do, so he decided to read his list of supplies.  
  
Hogwarts School  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
_______________________  
  
Course Books  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Beginner's Spell book by Anna Cansher  
A Magical History by Sara Inac  
Magical Theory by Aldabert Waffling  
Transfiguration Grade 1 by William Transfer  
Seven Hundred Twenty-Two Magical Herbs and Fungi by Lavella Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Magical Creatures by Jeremy Samur  
Evil's End, Prtection From the Dark Arts by Elliott Quivver  
  
This list confused Tom. These weren't the books that his mother had left him. He had thought that those were her schoolbooks. Oh well.  
  
Uniform  
First year students will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags  
  
Other Equipment  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS  
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS  
  
Tom suddenly could not wait to get his supplies, especially his wand.  
  
But that thought left his mind as the Knight Bus stopped, and he was thrown sideways off his bed.  



	4. Gringotts

Okay here's the fourth chapter. I hope you like it. All reviews are welcome, even bad ones.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Tom got up and looked out of the window.  
  
There was a grubby looking building with a sign at the top reading 'The Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"Okay! Get in a single file line!" commanded Arnie. "Starting with her."  
  
Arnie pointed to the girl whose bed was across from Tom's. She had blond hair, and she was in a stunning red dress. She stepped up to the door of the bus and Tom went right behind her.  
  
Arnie opened the door, walked down the steps, and got off the bus. He waited for everyone else to do likewise before leading them into the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
Inside Tom saw that the Leaky Cauldron was a pub. It seemed a little less grubby than it did from the outside.  
  
Arnie walked to the brick wall on the right side of the pub and pulled out his wand. With it he tapped on the wall-the third brick from the right to be exact-and there became a huge opening.  
  
He again led them through it. Once everyone was in he raised his hand to get their attention.  
  
"You are now in Diagon Alley. You will go to Gringotts to exchange your Muggle money for wizard money, then to the shops to buy your supplies."  
  
Tom raised his hand. "What if we don't have Muggle money?" he asked nervously. He couldn't get this far to not have enough money.  
  
Arnie scrunched up his face as if he were thinking. "What's your name, kid?"  
  
"Tom Riddle."  
  
Arnie read a long piece of parchment that had been folded up in his pocket..  
  
"It says here that you already got a Gringotts account."  
  
That was a very pleasant surprise for Tom, and he was very relieved.  
  
"Gringotts is over there," Arnie said pointing to a very large building. "I'll be back in the Leaky Cauldron, if you need me. When you're done, just meet me there."  
  
At that, Arnie turned around and walked back into the pub.  
  
All of the kids, except for Tom, practically ran over to Gringotts, wanting to be the first in line. They were stopped in there tracks about fifty yards away. Many astonished gasps could be heard.  
  
The children had discovered that Gringotts was run by goblins. They were bright green, with pointed ears and black hair that was slicked back. They had the longest fingers that Tom had ever seen.  
  
Tom walked over to the 'Withdrawals/Deposits' window.  
  
"May I help you?" asked the goblin teller.  
  
"Um, I'm trying to withdraw some money from my account."  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Tom Riddle."  
  
The goblin went opened up a drawer and pulled out a key.  
  
"Come with me please." The goblin opened a door on the side of the tellers' station and Tom walked through it. He was led down a long dark hallway.   
  
After about two minutes of walking, the goblin grabbed a lighted lantern off of the side of the wall. It lid up the place. The hallway had seemed to turn into a cave. There was a large cart on a small railway.  
  
"Get in," the goblin commanded.  
  
Tom got in the back half of the cart and the goblin got in the front.  
  
All of a sudden, the cart swung into action, at an extremely fast speed. Up to this point, the fastest thing that he had ever been on was the Knight Bus, which, compared to this cart ride, looked pale in comparison.  
  
After what had seemed like a short time of abrupt turns, ups, and downs, the carts stopped in front of a large vault. The goblin got out of the cart. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the vault.  
  
Inside were stacks of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Tom rushed into it.  
  
He gathered as many coins that could fit into his money pouch, which was a lot more that he had expected. This was more money than he had ever had in his life. On the cart ride on the way back, he could have sworn that the extra weight slowed it down.  



	5. Diagon Alley

Here's chapter five. Please review; I don't care if it's good or bad. Please tell me whether you want me to concentrate on this or Order of the Phoenix.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Tom walked into Flourish & Blotts, the only bookshop in Diagon Alley.  
  
He quickly found all of his books, and brought them to the checkout counter to buy them.  
  
"That will be twenty Gallons," the man at the counter told Tom.  
  
"Which ones are Galleons?" Tom asked, searching his coin pouch.  
  
"The gold ones," he offered helpfully. "Do you understand the wizard monetary system?"  
  
"Not really," Tom answered.  
  
"Okay, the bronze ones are Knuts. Twenty-nine of them are equal to one Sickle. Those are the silver ones. Seventeen of them are equal to one Galleon."  
  
"Thanks," Tom replied and began to walk out of the shop.  
  
"Say," the man asked, "are you Muggle-born?"  
  
"No," Tom replied, disgusted at the very notion, before storming out of the shop, leaving the clerk very confused.  
  
. . .  
  
After getting his robes and his cauldron, Tom went to Ollivander's Wands, the place he had been dying to go to all day.  
  
When he entered, he noticed how still and quiet a place it was.  
  
"Hello," said a soft voice. He had blond hair and pale eyes. He shook Tom's hand.  
  
"I'm Mr. Ollivander."  
  
"Tom Riddle, nice to meet you."  
  
Mr. Ollivander pulled some tape measure out of his pocket. "What's your wand hand?"  
  
"Left."  
  
All the while Tom noticed that the tape measure was flying around doing all of the work itself.  
  
"All of our wands have a magical core," Mr. Ollivander explained, "either unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, or phoenix tail feather. No two wands are alike."  
  
As the tape measure finished, Mr. Ollivander stuck a wand in Tom's hand.  
  
"Ash and unicorn hair. 10 inches. Pliable. Just give it a wave."  
  
Tom hesitated, but then did as Mr. Ollivander told.  
  
He waved the wand in the air, before it was snatched away by Mr. Ollivander.  
  
"Okay, try this one. Redwood and dragon heartstring. 7 inches. Stiff, very stiff."  
  
Tom had barely taken hold of it when Mr. Ollivander again yanked it from its grasp.  
  
"Pine and phoenix feather. Eleven-and-a-half inches. Springy."  
  
Tom tried it again. And again. More and more wands were going into the discard pile, and Tom was beginning to wonder if he would leave Ollivander's with a wand.  
  
"Hmmm… what to do, what to do," Mr. Ollivander wondered aloud. "Ahhh, try this one. Yew and phoenix feather. Thirteen-and-a-half inches."  
  
Tom's hand grew warm, and he felt a great source of power. He swung the wand through the air, as green and silver sparks shot out of the end of it, lighting up the entire room.  
  
"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander cried. "That's a very powerful wand you've got there, Mr. Riddle. I hope you like it."  
  
Tom paid seven Galleons and exited the shop.  
  
He checked his list one more time, wanting desperately to stay in Diagon Alley a little while longer. But there was nothing left. He sulkily walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
He found that he was the first one back, despite the fact that he had taken his time.  
  
Arnie was sitting at the bar when Tom came up to him.  
  
"Oh, it's you," he said, handing Tom a ticket, "here's your ticket for Hogwarts."  
  
Tom looked at it.  
  
King's Crossing  
Platform 9 ¾  
September 1, 11:00 a.m.  
  
Platform 9 ¾? Tom had never heard of such folly.  
  
"Um, Arnie," Tom asked, "how would I get on Platform 9 ¾?"  
  
"S'easy," Arnie replied, "Just run through the barrier between 9 and 10."  
  
Tom wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic, but decided to take his word for it; if he was lying, Tom could always ask a nearby wizarding family that could tell him.  
  
More and more kids began to come back to the Leaky Cauldron and received their tickets.  
  
In about an hour, everyone had returned.  
  
Arnie was leading them out of the bar when he was stopped by the bartender.  
  
"Oi, Arnie!" he cried, "D' any o' ya firsties wanna stay here 'til the term starts?"  
  
"Nah, I don't think so, Earl-"  
  
"Um," Tom chimed in, "I do."  
  
Arnie looked at him skeptically. "You sure kid?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Okay, whatever you say."  
  
Tom smiled. He wouldn't have to go back to 'The Creekwood Foster Home' for a whole year.  



	6. Default Chapter

Here's the 6th chapter. Please, PLEASE tell me whether you want me to write this or the Order of The Phoenix. Also please review.  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Tom loved staying at the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
It was only four Sickles a night, and he could do anything he wanted. The innkeeper and bartender Earl let him go into Diagon Alley too, but not into Muggle London; Tom didn't care though because it was better for him to learn as much as he could about the wizarding world before he went to Hogwarts.  
  
A few weeks before the term was supposed to start, Tom was sitting at Flora Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing up his banana mint ice cream cone, when a boy with pale hair and even paler eyes came over and sat next to him. He was an inch or two shorter than Tom.  
  
"Hello," greeted the boy in a bored, drawling voice. "My name's Bennett Malfoy. What's yours?"  
  
"Tom Riddle," Tom replied shaking Bennett's hand.  
  
"Are you going to Hogwarts, too?" Bennett asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm just here to get my things for school," Bennett said, "my mom's getting my books for me and my dad's getting me a telescope. Where are your parents?"  
  
Tom flinched at hearing the question. He didn't enjoy the subject much.  
  
"My dad left us when I was born, and my mom died," he said quickly.  
  
Bennett gasped, "Your father left you?!" Then his voice soured. "Was he a Muggle?"  
  
Tom's eyes narrowed as he replied. "Yes."  
  
"Oh," Bennett said, "nasty things, those Muggles, don't you agree?"  
  
He said the last part a bit accented, as if he wanted Tom to answer a certain way.  
  
"With my whole heart."  
  
. . .  
  
After Bennett had left Diagon Alley with his parents, Tom had nothing to do other than to go back to the Leaky Cauldron, which still wasn't so bad.   
  
Tom would stay up late into the night, studying his new schoolbooks.  
  
He didn't understand 101 Magical Herbs and Fungi, but he almost finished A Magical History and Magical Theory.  
  
If he kept learning at this rate, and maybe even faster once he got to Hogwarts, no one would stop him. And no one would.  



	7. The Hogwarts Express

I'm sorry it took so long to write this chapter. Its kind of uneventful, and I didn't feel like writing for a while. The next chapter should be out in after a wait as long as this one if not longer, because I'm going to alternate chapters between this and Order of the Phoenix. I promise you that the next chapter will be better.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Tom woke up and looked at the calendar. It was September 1.  
  
He packed up all of his things into a trunk that Earl had loaned him, and walked out of his room and started down the stairs. It took him a while to finally get down the stairs, because his trunk was so heavy and he had to lift it to get it down the stairs.  
  
He did manage though, but when he did, he had to sit down on a barstool to catch his breath.  
  
"Earl," he panted, "how am I going to get to the King's Crossing?" He knew that Earl didn't know what a car was, let alone own one.  
  
"Floo Powder," Earl answered as if it were obvious.  
  
"What's Floo Powder?" Tom asked, clueless.  
  
"Oh yea'. I fergot ya live wit' de Muggles," he replied as he handed Tom some bright red powder. "T'row it inter de fire, yell where ya want ter go, an' step inter de fire."  
  
"Thanks Earl, see you." Tom walked over to the fireplace, the fire burning intensely within it. Were it not for the importance of the task at hand, Tom would have been to entranced to move.  
  
He tossed the Floo Powder into the fire.  
  
"King's Crossing!" he boomed in a thunderous voice, suddenly surging with power. He stepped into the fire, not afraid of injury.  
  
His feeling of domination, as quickly as it had come, turned to a fit of helplessness. He was flying faster than he would have ever thought possible; flying so fast that he couldn't move, could only see a blur around him.  
  
The ride abruptly stopped, as he crashed into the ground. He was in a lot of pain as he crawled out of the chimney. He dusted himself off and began to walk away when he heard a loud thud behind him.  
  
He turned around to see his trunk lying in the fireplace.  
  
Tom walked back and got his trunk. He would have to thank Earl the next time he went to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
Tom got his trunk and looked around. He was in a deserted train platform.   
  
He looked around and saw a doorway at the back of the platform. He walked through it to see many people carrying suitcases and pulling trunks, all of them in a hurry. Tom looked to the side of him to see signs reading 'Platform 9' and 'Platform 10.'  
  
Tom realized that he had already been in Platform 9 ¾. The Ministry of Magic would not allow someone to fall through the chimney right in front of a group of Muggles; he would have to do it in an out of the way place or in an area in which such a thing was considered ordinary.  
  
Tom noticed that the doorway did not appear to be a doorway from this side, but a barrier, as Arnie had said. He walked back through it.  
  
He checked his watch and saw that it was 10:00. He would have to wait a while.  
  
. . .  
  
It was 10:50 when the scarlet train, called the 'Hogwarts Express', began to board. Tom took the very back compartment, which was empty.  
  
"Tom!" greeted Bennett, walking into the compartment, accompanied by two hulking boys. "I've been looking all over for you."  
  
Noticing that Tom's jaw had dropped open, Bennett offhandedly pointed to the two boys behind him. "Those two are Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
Crabbe and Goyle were very much alike, both with dark hair, dark eyes, and a two hundred pound frame.  
  
"Uh, nice to meet you," Tom said awkwardly, somewhat intimidated. Crabbe and Goyle both grunted their greetings as well.  
  
The train started rolling at exactly 11:00.  
  
"I can't wait until we get there," Bennett said, "I wonder what the Slytherin common room looks like."  
  
"Slytherin?" Tom was sure he had heard or seen the name before, but he was not sure from where.  
  
"Oh, that's right," Bennett said, "I forgot that you live with Muggles. Anyway, Slytherin is a house at Hogwarts, and the best one at that. Me, Crabbe, and Goyle's families have all been in Slytherin. I wonder what house you'll be Sorted into, Tom."  
  
"Sorted?" Tom was feeling stupider and stupider, which was new for him, rarely getting to talk to the children at the orphanage, and when he did, he was easily their intellectual superior.  
  
"Well, father hasn't told me how we get Sorted, but the Sorting is when it's decided which house we go to. There are four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Like I said before, Slytherin is by far the best."  
  
Just then, the witch with the refreshments cart passed through.  
  
"I'll have a bag of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans," Bennett stated to the witch.  
  
"That'll be fifteen Knuts."  
  
Bennett gladly forked over the bronze coins for the bag of candy and ripped it open immediately, not even a thank you to the witch.  
  
Bennett took out the first jellybean, examined it, and gave it to Tom.  
  
"Here you go, Tom, chocolate pudding."  
  
As Tom stuck the jellybean in his mouth and began to chew on it, Bennett, Crabbe, and Goyle burst out laughing. It was then that he realized that it wasn't chocolate pudding."  



	8. 

Hello again. I was reading over my story, and I realized that I have a whole lot of typos. I'm sorry if they really affected your opinion of this story, but I really don't like to proofread. I just write it and upload it. Again I'm sorry about those. I'd like to tell those of you who might have been wondering, THIS IS TWO GENERATIONS AGO. BENNETT MALFOY IS DRACO'S GRANDFATHER. AND THESE ARE NOT THE SAME CRABBE AND GOYLE EITHER. Just making sure you knew. I'd like to point out that this isn't my Sorting Hat song either. It is Nyias. I deserve no credit for that well thought Sorting Hat song. I'd like you to remember, I welcome all reviews, even if you've already reviewed or if they are bad reviews. So flame, er, review away!  
  
Chapter 8  
  
After Tom finished losing breakfast over the jellybean (which was, as Bennett so lightly put it, 'fecal matter') he made a decision that he would never try a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean again.  
  
Tom decided also to let Bennett get away with his little prank. This time.  
  
The boys changed into their school robes. No sooner than had they put on their pointed caps did the train come to a stop.   
  
"First years!" they heard after getting off of the train.  
  
The man was short, stocky, and bald. He wore baggy overalls and worn out black shoes.  
  
Tom, Bennett, Crabbe, and Goyle walked over to him.  
  
"You four, get in a boat," the man ordered.  
  
He pointed to a line of rowboats in a river. They all got into it, Tom sitting with Goyle, and Bennett sitting with Crabbe (Crabbe and Goyle could not sit on the same side, otherwise the boat would tip over).  
  
After all of the first years had gotten into boats, the man in the overalls got into one himself and led them through the river.  
  
Tom would never forget his first glance of Hogwarts. When it came into sight, he was amazed beyond belief. It was a large, beautiful stone castle. He couldn't even manage to see the top of it the castle was so tall.  
  
The boys were so entranced that they didn't notice that they were headed straight towards the riverbank. The boat ran right into it, and the four boys were almost thrown off of into the water. They got out of their boat and stepped onto the ground.  
  
The stocky man led them into the castle and opened up the huge doors.  
  
Waiting inside of them was a tall, scrawny man with long red beard.  
  
"Here you go Professor Dumbledore," the short man said.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Senaus. I'll take them from here," replied Professor Dumbledore.  
  
The entryway that they were in could have fit about ten of the orphanage inside of it. The ceiling could barely be seen it was so high.  
  
"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Dumbledore. "On the other side of the doors behind me, you shall be sorted into one of our four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, named for the founders of our school. As the year goes on, any special achievements you have accomplished shall award points to your house. Any rule breaking subtracts them. The house with the most points at the end of the year wins the House Cup. Now, we are running late for the Sorting Ceremony, so I'll lead you into the Great Hall now."  
  
Professor Dumbledore led them through two doors, larger than the ones before.  
  
The Great Hall was the most magnificent place Tom had ever set foot in. The wall looked exactly like the baby blue sky. He overheard someone say that it was bewitched to be that way. There were four tables, two on each side with huge pictures hanging above them.  
  
Above the Gryffindor table was a lion, in front of a scarlet and gold background. Above the Ravenclaw table was an eagle over black and blue. Above the Hufflepuff table was a badger over yellow and red. Over the Slytherin table was a snake over green and silver. Tom noted that the pictures were not at a standstill; they were moving, as a lion, eagle, badger, or snake would move.  
  
At the end of the Great Hall was the High Table, where all of the teachers sat. Professor Dumbledore took his place at the table, and left the first years standing alone, the eyes of the entire school upon them.  
  
Tom noticed, that in front of the High Table was a stool. On top of it was an old, dirty hat, patched and frayed.   
  
Tom was wondering why the hat was there when it went into song.   
  
Place me on your head  
And then you will see  
The answer to the question  
Where should they put me?  
Hogwarts has four houses,  
You'll be put in one,  
Once sorted by the Sorting Hat,  
Your years here will have begun.  
If bravery, daring, and chivalry,  
Within you I see,  
I know just where you will end up;  
In Gryffindor you'll be.  
If you are smart and clever,  
There is a lot you know,  
Have no doubt about it,  
To Ravenclaw you'll go.  
If you work hard and you believe  
There always is a way,  
Then you'll go into Hufflepuff,  
And that is where you'll stay.  
If you have much cunning,  
And much ambition,  
To put you into Slytherin  
Will be my admission.  
So sit down on the stool  
And place me on your head  
I'll put you in the right house,  
There is no need for dread.  
I can see inside your brain  
But don't worry about me,  
The only thing I care about  
Is in which house you'll be!  
  
The Great Hall burst into applause.  
  
"Ew! I'm not putting that thing on my head!" Bennett stated.   
  
"Aried, George," Professor Dumbledore called off a piece of paper.  
  
A short, dark haired boy walked up to the stool and put the Sorting Hat on.  
  
After a few seconds, the hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
There were loud cheers from the Gryffindor table, but Tom could hear a few boos from the Slytherin table.   
  
A few more were sorted before, "Crabbe, William."  
  
Crabbe lumbered over to the hat and placed it on his head. The hat immediately yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" as it did later when Goyle and Bennett were sorted.  
  
The Sorting Hat song had made it sound like all of the houses were good, but Tom knew it was a lie. The only house worth being in was Slytherin, the best.   
  
"Riddle, Thomas," came the call that had seemed to wait forever.  
  
Tom walked over to the hat, and placed it on his head as he sat down on the stool.  
  
"It's people like you who make my job easy," said the voice in his head. "SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Tom took the hat off of his head and walked over to the Slytherin table, taking his seat next to Bennett.  
  
The rest of the first years were sorted, and the headmaster, Dippet, said a few words. Tom wasn't paying attention to him, though. He barely touched the food that magically appeared on the plate in front of him when Dippet's speech was done. He just wanted to begin his wizard training, and the power that would come along with it.  



	9. Chapter 9

Here's the ninth chapter. Tom begins his classes at Hogwarts. I'd like to remind you that if you'd like to read any other stories of mine, a good choice would be Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. All of the rest are just humor stories.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
"Tom, wake up," Bennett prompted, "it's almost time for breakfast."  
  
Tom reluctantly opened his eyes. He had always gotten to sleep in at the orphanage. Oh well. He would just have to adjust.  
  
Bennett, Crabbe, and Goyle led him through the common room all the way back to the Great Hall (he had been so tired the night before that he hadn't been paying attention when the house prefect led them to their common room and dormitories).  
  
They each took a seat at the Slytherin table while Professor Dumbledore handed out the schedules.  
  
"Yes!" Bennett exclaimed after reading the schedule. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts first!"  
  
Tom ate his breakfast quickly. He was definitely looking forward to that class. To defend oneself, they must know how defeat oneself.  
  
. . .  
  
"Welcome," said the teacher when class began, "my name is Professor Xavier. I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am the head of the Slytherin house as well."  
  
He was tall and thin, with jet-black hair and gray, cold eyes.  
  
"This will be one of the most important classes you will take here at Hogwarts, if not the most important. You will learn to protect yourself against dangerous magical creatures, and eventually against those who use magic for evil."  
  
Tom knew that he would like Professor Xavier, as well as his class. But before he had the chance to start on the first lesson, the period was over, and Tom, Bennett, Crabbe, and Goyle headed over to their next class, Transfiguration.  
  
Professor Dumbledore seemed like a good teacher. Bennett noted with admiration his defeats of such wizards as Fundley and Dinsel, despite the fact that he was head of Gryffindor, a house Bennett had seemed to despise. That admiration seemed to disappear, though, when he was scolded for talking while Dumbledore was discussing the things they'd learn throughout school about Transfiguration.  
  
"Well, anyway," Dumbledore said. "Since it is the first day of school, I'll spare you the note taking, but next class, you better be prepared."  
  
And with that, another class ended, Tom just as excited as he had been after the first.  
  
The next class would not be so fun, though.  
  
Tom had been excited about History of Magic, as it was one of the only subjects he could comprehend before the term started. But the teacher Professor Binns was anything but exciting.  
  
He was a middle age man with brown hair, hints of gray becoming visible. He had a dull, monotone voice.  
  
"I'm hoping you all know each other by now, so I will spare all of the introductions and get right to work."  
  
Professor Binns explained the first International Wizard Convention and mentioned many of the well-known wizards that attended it- to those that were awake, Tom being one of the few.   
  
At the end of the period, Professor Binns assigned a ten-inch composition about that Convention, and for the first time, Tom walked out of a Hogwarts class glad to be leaving.  



End file.
